Many people aim to save at least $1 million for their retirement years to help supplement programs like Social Security. Whether this amount is enough or not, it's certainly much better than nothing. But how should the average person go about saving that type of money? Investing in stocks is one of the most accessible ways to do so.
Now for the literal million-dollar question: Which stocks can help investors achieve this goal? Let's consider whether Novartis (NVS 1.02%), a healthcare specialist, is a good pick.
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Novartis' strengths
What does it take to build a retirement portfolio? First, it takes time -- it doesn't happen overnight. Investors should aim to invest in stocks regularly for a few decades.
Second, it requires buying shares of companies that can perform well over the long term. Novartis, at first glance, appears able to do so. The pharmaceutical leader belongs to an industry that won't become obsolete anytime soon; there is always a need for newer and better drugs.
Novartis currently has a deep pipeline of products, with 15 brands that each generated at least $1 billion in sales in 2025 -- that's impressive. Patent cliffs will happen. In fact, Novartis dealt with the loss of patent exclusivity for its biggest growth driver, Entresto, last year.
Generic versions of this heart failure medicine entered the U.S. market in July. They had about six months to take market share away from Entresto, and sure enough, the therapy's sales declined in 2025. But total revenue still moved in the right direction, and the company is projecting top-line growth in 2026 as well. Novartis' ability to grow revenue despite a patent cliff for its biggest growth driver speaks volumes.
NYSE: NVS
Key Data Points
Here's more evidence for Novartis' ability to perform well over long periods: its deep pipeline and innovative culture. Novartis boasts dozens of products in clinical trials, at least some of which should lead to brand-new approvals and label expansions. Those should help it continue to post strong financial results despite stiff competition in some of its core therapeutic areas.
The verdict
Novartis is also a great dividend stock. The company has increased its payouts every year since 1996. That's an impressive streak. It gives us even more evidence of a solid underlying business -- only companies like this can sustain dividend growth for that long. And the dividend can also boost long-term returns through dividend reinvestment.
So, can Novartis help investors build a millionaire retirement portfolio? Under the right circumstances, yes. The stock can provide stability, reliability, and steady income to a well-diversified portfolio. And given enough time (a couple of decades, at the very least), that could turn a reasonable sum into $1 million or more.
